Traslape de dieta entre el venado cola blanca y otros herbívoros en la Mixteca Poblana

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la superposición de la dieta entre el venado cola blanca (Odocoileus virginianus) y otros herbívoros (lagomorfos, bovinos y equinos) caracterizando la dieta tanto de los cérvidos como la de los lagomorfos de la región. Se muestreó la vegetación y excretas encontradas en 15 transectos de 300 m de largo y 6 m de ancho. Mediante la técnica micro histológica se elaboró un catálogo de referencia vegetal y se analizaron las muestras fecales por especie para determinar la composición botánica de la dieta. De las 65 especies vegetales recolectadas presuntamente consumibles por los cérvidos, solo 16 fueron consumidas por estos. El análisis micro histológico reveló que la dieta de venados y lagomorfos coincide en una sola especie arbórea, un arbusto y una herbácea; pero, para los lagomorfos, el consumo de estos tres grupos vegetales representa más del 50% de la dieta; mientras que, para los caballos y bovinos, la dieta estuvo formada por una sola especie de herbáceas o gramíneas, respectivamente. El índice de Pianka entre el venado cola blanca y los lagomorfos fue de 0.26, mientras que en comparación con el ganado bovino y equino fue de 0.04 en ambos casos. Como se esperaba del análisis micro histológico, la superposición de la dieta entre los ciervos y otras especies de herbívoros fue relativamente baja. Sin embargo, el traslape entre venado cola blanca y lagomorfos es del 26% y considerando el número estimado de individuos en la UMA puede ser un elemento de competencia importante.

Survey of Mississippi Mosquito Blood Meals for Vertebrate Host Identification

ABSTRACT Exploring particular mosquito and vertebrate relationships provide insight to potential transmission of several agents of disease. In the current study, the relationship between white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mosquitoes was explored by identifying blood meals within mosquitoes captured throughout Mississippi between June and September of 2013 and 2017. We captured 72 bloodfed mosquitoes between 2 collection years, with a majority of specimens identified as Culex erraticus or Psorophora mathesoni. Seventy-nine percent (26/33) of blood meals in Cx. erraticus originated from the white-tailed deer. These findings implicate mosquitoes may primarily be feeding on white-tailed deer in rural areas of Mississippi.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Human-to-animal spillover of SARS-CoV-2 virus has occurred in a wide range of animals, but thus far, the establishment of a new natural animal reservoir has not been detected. Here, we detected SARS-CoV-2 virus using rRT-PCR in 129 out of 360 (35.8%) free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from northeast Ohio (USA) sampled between January-March 2021. Deer in 6 locations were infected with at least 3 lineages of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.2, B.1.596, B.1.582). The B.1.2 viruses, dominant in Ohio at the time, spilled over multiple times into deer populations in different locations. Deer-to-deer transmission may have occurred in three locations. The establishment of a natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer could facilitate divergent evolutionary trajectories and future spillback to humans, further complicating long-term COVID-19 control strategies.

SARS-CoV-2 exposure in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Widespread human SARS-CoV-2 infections combined with human–wildlife interactions create the potential for reverse zoonosis from humans to wildlife. We targeted white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for serosurveillance based on evidence these deer have angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors with high affinity for SARS-CoV-2, are permissive to infection, exhibit sustained viral shedding, can transmit to conspecifics, exhibit social behavior, and can be abundant near urban centers. We evaluated 624 prepandemic and postpandemic serum samples from wild deer from four US states for SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Antibodies were detected in 152 samples (40%) from 2021 using a surrogate virus neutralization test. A subset of samples tested with a SARS-CoV-2 virus neutralization test showed high concordance between tests. These data suggest white-tailed deer in the populations assessed have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

Multiple spillovers and onward transmission of SARS-Cov-2 in free-living and captive White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Many animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and could potentially act as reservoirs, yet transmission in non-human free-living animals has not been documented. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the predominant cervid in North America, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and experimentally infected fawns transmit the virus to other captive deer. To test the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 may be circulating in deer, we evaluated 283 retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) samples collected from 151 free-living and 132 captive deer in Iowa from April 2020 through December of 2020 for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Ninety-four of the 283 deer (33.2%; 95% CI: 28, 38.9) samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA as assessed by RT-PCR. Notably, between Nov 23, 2020, and January 10, 2021, 80 of 97 (82.5%; 95% CI 73.7, 88.8) RPLN samples had detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR. Whole genome sequencing of the 94 positive RPLN samples identified 12 SARS-CoV-2 lineages, with B.1.2 (n = 51; 54.5%), and B.1.311 (n = 19; 20%) accounting for ~75% of all samples. The geographic distribution and nesting of clusters of deer and human lineages strongly suggest multiple zooanthroponotic spillover events and deer-to-deer transmission. The discovery of sylvatic and enzootic SARS-CoV-2 transmission in deer has important implications for the ecology and long-term persistence, as well as the potential for spillover to other animals and spillback into humans. These findings highlight an urgent need for a robust and proactive One Health approach to obtaining a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of SARS-CoV-2.

Reproductive management in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann)

Objective: To review information related with the reproductive physiology and management of white-tailed deer for reproductive specialists and producers. Design/methodology/approach: The information presented in this document relies on the review of scientific papers and on experience gained in white-tail deer production systems. Results: White-tailed deer is a species with seasonal reproduction and one of the most important hunting species in Mexico. Currently, all reproductive biotechnologies applied to small ruminants can be used in white-tailed deer. Limitations of the study/implications: Information regard the physiology and reproductive management of white-tailed deer is limited, probably due to conditions specific to its production system. Findings/conclusions: Research and publication of information regard the physiology and reproductive management of white-tailed deer is needed.

Understanding environmental patterns of canid predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

The outcome of encounters between predators and prey affects predation rates and ultimately population dynamics. Determining how environmental features influence predation rates helps guide conservation and management efforts. We studied where gray wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) and coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) killed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in northern Wisconsin, USA. We monitored 499 white-tailed deer for cause-specific mortality between 2011 and 2014 using VHF radio collars. We investigated the locations of 125 deer mortalities and determined that 63 were canid (wolf or coyote) kill sites. We analyzed spatial patterns of kill sites using resource selection functions in a model selection framework, incorporating environmental variables including vegetative cover, human development, snow depth, and water. We found no evidence that vegetative cover or human development affected predation risk; however, we did find that increasing snow depth resulted in increased relative predation risk. This finding is consistent with existing research on the influence of snow cover on white-tailed deer survival. Our results suggest that understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of white-tailed deer predation requires a better understanding of snow depth variation in space and time. As climate change scenarios predict changes in snowfall throughout the northern hemisphere, understanding the effect on predator–prey spatial dynamics will be important for management and conservation efforts.

Antropología Ambiental: De las bandas con economía de caza a la agricultura, en un valle fósil costero: Cupisnique, Perú

El presente forma parte del proyecto general: Restos culturales y naturales de cambios ambientales en los desiertos de la costa peruana, como indicadores para una normatividad de gestión territorial (resolución rectoral 21946 – 19 – UAP con fecha 22 de marzo de 2019) que se viene desarrollando en los ríos secos de la costa peruana, para responder a un problema de identificación territorial, luego de observar los frecuentes catástrofes producidas por avenidas de agua en períodos de lluvias intensas.¿La costa peruana siempre ha presentado sus características, como un desierto cortado por 53 ríos valles como se observa en la actualidad? De ahí nuestro objetivo general de identificar restos culturales y naturales asociados a las ocupaciones de poblaciones, como indicadores de una cronología de los cambios climáticos ocurridos desde hace doce mil años.Se concluye que el valle fósil de Cupisnique presenta evidencias de la ocupación humana de hace diez mil años, con el camino de bandas que, en las márgenes de los 45 kilómetros de recorrido del río, aprovecharon los bosque y paleofauna hoy extinguida, a excepción del venado (Odocoileus virginianus), sajino (Pecari tajacu), osos de anteojos (Tremarctos ornatus) y pumas (Puma concolor) que en temporadas de lluvias bajan por la vera actual hasta cerca del litoral, como también lo hacen algunos asnos (Equus asinus) salvajes.No se registra ocupaciones durante los siguientes seis mil años, hasta hace cuatro mil años (cronología tentativa) a decir por un edificio precerámico. No se registran restos de la cultura Cupisnique (Formativo Andino 3000 años a.p.), que toma su nombre justamente de este valle fósil con el supuesto que aquí fue un escenario importante para el desarrollo de estas etnias. Luego, hay evidencias de hace mil años con la presencia muy escasa de restos de cerámica del horizonte medio (siglo X), y una creciente ocupación actual de agricultores migrantes que, aprovechando la humedad del manto freático siembran con sistemas de riego por goteo moderno con grandes inversiones.